Readers vote Como Park Zoo & Conservatory Minnesota's best attraction

National Eagle Center takes second place

The land of 10,000 lakes actually has more than 11,800, yet aquatic adventure is only one of many draws to Minnesota. The twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul teem with cool cultural attractions, and there's plenty of history to be found along the Mighty Mississippi.

Lebanon Hills Regional ParkEagan

The largest park in the Dakota County park system, Lebanon Hills Regional Park encompasses 2,000 acres with numerous lakes and miles of recreational trails for exploring.Photo courtesy of iStock / megasquib

North Shore Scenic Drive

Hugging the shores of the world's largest freshwater lake, North Shore Scenic Drive begins in Duluth and winds its way to Grand Portage over the course of 142 beautiful miles.Photo courtesy of Ryan Fonkert / Flickr

Guthrie TheaterMinneapolis

Founded in 1963, the Guthrie Theater is the shining star of the excellent theater scene in Minneapolis. Three stages set the scene for a mix of both classic and contemporary plays within the state-of-the-art facility.Photo courtesy of Meet Minneapolis

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Situated in the northern third of Superior National Forest, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness protects several thousand lakes and streams, all surrounded by forest.Photo courtesy of iStock / Wildnerdpix

Canal ParkDuluth

Situated on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, Canal Park is one of the best places to watch 1,000-foot ships pass beneath the famous Aerial Lift Bridge.Photo courtesy of Visit Duluth

Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park sits at the heart of North America, where visitors enjoy some of the country's darkest skies, rocks half as old as the world itself and serene boreal forests perfect for a natural escape.Photo courtesy of NPS/Dimse

Minnesota ZooApple Valley

With 485 acres, there's plenty of room for the furry residents of the Minnesota Zoo to spread out. This zoo - with more than 5,300 animals - is recognized for excellence in exhibits and broad community outreach: its Free to Explore program, for example, provided free access to more than 80,000 low income Minnesota residents last year.Photo courtesy of Minnesota Zoo

National Eagle CenterWabasha

The National Eagle Center is an interpretive center on the banks of the Mississippi River, where visitors come to learn more about eagles (particularly bald eagles) and the Mississippi watershed through interaction. Photo courtesy of iStock / cicloco

Como Park Zoo & ConservatorySaint Paul

Saint Paul's Como Park Zoo & Conservatory features a variety of indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces, as well as a stunning tropical conservatory with an always changing display of seasonal plants and flowers.Photo courtesy of Como Park Zoo & Conservatory

The top 10 winners in the category Best Minnesota Attraction are as follows:

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory - Saint Paul

National Eagle Center - Wabasha

Minnesota Zoo - Apple Valley

Voyageurs National Park

Minnesota Marine Art Museum - Winona

Canal Park - Duluth

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Guthrie Theater - Minneapolis

North Shore Scenic Drive

Lebanon Hills Regional Park - Eagan

A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Beth Blair (TheVacationGals.com) and Lisa Meyers McClintick were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in Minnesota.

The Experts

Beth Blair

Beth Blair is an award-winning writer. She focuses on family travel on her co-owned site TheVacationGals.com and is author of The Unofficial Guide to Mall of America (Unofficial Guides, 2016), the first consumer guidebook ever written on the mall. She also authored Break into Travel Writing (McGraw-Hill, 2012). Beth enjoys all Minnesota has to offer whether it's watching her preschooler meet Paw Patrol characters at MOA, boating with her family on Gull Lake or ice skating on the pond in her backyard. Follow Beth on Instagram.

Beth Blair

Beth Blair is an award-winning writer. She focuses on family travel on her co-owned site TheVacationGals.com and is author of The Unofficial Guide to Mall of America (Unofficial Guides, 2016), the first consumer guidebook ever written on the mall. She also authored Break into Travel Writing (McGraw-Hill, 2012). Beth enjoys all Minnesota has to offer whether it's watching her preschooler meet Paw Patrol characters at MOA, boating with her family on Gull Lake or ice skating on the pond in her backyard. Follow Beth on Instagram.

Lisa Meyers McClintick

Lisa Meyers McClintick is an award-winning contributor to USA Today Go Escape, Midwest Living, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Family Vacation Critic and author of two guidebooks, Day Trips from the Twin Cities and The Dakotas Off the Beaten Path. Follow Lisa on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Lisa Meyers McClintick

Lisa Meyers McClintick is an award-winning contributor to USA Today Go Escape, Midwest Living, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Family Vacation Critic and author of two guidebooks, Day Trips from the Twin Cities and The Dakotas Off the Beaten Path. Follow Lisa on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.